Template holder



Jan. 17, 1950 AGER 2,494,532

TEMPLATE HOLDER Filed April 20, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN CLA%?N EE EH ATT X Jan. 17, 1950 c, R 2,494,532

TEMPLATE HOLDER Filed April 20, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IE IO 32 IO IE 5 in aqua I i V I6 I l 28 ZIQ 5 fig 4 35 ga' 37 37 3 34 INVENTOR.

CLAR NEEE Agra? ss Q QW W A from/Ex Patented Jan. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEMPLATE HOLDER Clarence P. 'A er, Bremerton, Wash.

Application April 20, 1945, Serial No. 589,436

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April so; 1928; 370 o. G. 757) "rhisinventicn relates "to template hoitiersa'nu more particularly to these adapted to be used in cutting-machines of the'riametype having'a mcv} able cutting flame element in which the path of movement of the element is'eontrolled by a magnetic roller acting on a template-asexemplified by the niachines known commercially as Omnigraphs or 'Camographsf The die holders-heretofore used in cutting machines of -the type referred to support the template in fixed relation to the machine, once the machineiis set iip for use. This arrangement hascertain disadvantages. For example, before themachine can starta cut, it is necessary "for the operator eitherpto make a hand cut through t esalvage material to the outline of the. shape thati's'to be cut by the machine. or drill a hole through the salvage material adjacent the'oi'itline of theshape. When either of these methods of starting a cut-isemployed, there is a relativeiy'abrupt changeof direction of cutting at the point where the machine commences to cut.

sum change of direction produces a starting iiic? 'i'n the edge of the cut shape at the point er change and it is necessary to remove this nick ina subsequent'machiniri'g o eration. Furtherriire, after each cutting operation, it is hecessary either to move the machine, or to move the material beine'c t, inorderto out another shape from the material.

Important objects of the present invention are, therefore, to overcome the disadvantages heretofore encountered; tosprovide a template hclder in which a template held thereby may be moved in certain definite paths to start a out without the'necessity either of hand cutting or of drilling inthe'salva'ge material, and which supports alplurality of die'sada'pted to be moved selectiilely' to position to 'cooperate'with the roller in maliln'g a cut, whereby a'plurality of shapes may he cutfrom apiece of material without the necessity of moving either the machine orthe mate rialafter each'cut.

Qther objects of my'invention are to provide a template holder-adapted to be used in cutting Lferm of salvage material it is a furtherobject of my invention to provides template holder which is easily installed in existing equipment to replace template helders of types heretofore known.

In accomplishing these and other objects -of the present invention, I have provided improved details of structur the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a flame cuttingmachine with a template holder embodying my invention installed therein.

Fig.2 is a top plan View, partly in section, of a template holder embodying invention. v

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of the template holder taken substantially oh theliiie 3-;3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 illustrates the paths for cutting caretlar shapes when the template holder of'my' in- Vention is used in the cutting machine.

Fig. 5 illustrates the paths "for cutting certain irregular shapes when the template holder or mi invention is employed.

ite'rerrmg more in detairto the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a flame cutting machine of a known type with the tempiate homer of myrtlventicn installed therein. It is to-be'iinders'tcod that "the machine shown in Fig. 1 is merely il-' lustrative of the type of machine in which invention maybe employed. The latter is adapted t6 be appiiea'to any cutting machine that operates on similar principles. r The machine 's'how'n'in Fig.1 comprises abas'e I. An upright standard 2 is rigidly secured at its lower end to'the base I. A'l'aterally extend= i'ng arm 3 is hinged to the upright 2 above the base and a second arm 4 is hingedto theouter end of the arm 3, both axes of hinging being substantially vertical. The arm 4 carriesa flame cutting element '5 which may be of the oxy= acetylene type and which is vertically adjustable thereon. The arm 4 also carries a motor 6, a set of reduction gea'rs l driven by the motor, and a follower in the form of a roller 18 driven by the motor through the-reduction gears. The roller 8 is an electro-ma 'gnet. When it is energized and rotated, it is held tightly against a template and follows the contour of the ternplate throughout its periphery; The cutting element 5 thus describes apath identical to the outline of a template of any shape provided therefore.

The machine also comprises a third arm asecured-tothe upright 2 adjacent the upper end thereof and extending laterally therefrom.

The template holder of myinvention; designated generally as 10, is secured to thearm 9. The template holder supports templates 1 l and 12, either of whichmay bemovedselectively to a position to cooperate'w-ith the roller=8 and may be moved-longitudinally of the arm 9 through a predetermined distance by mechanism and for purposes which I will hereinafter explain.

Referring principally to Fig. 2, the template holder in preferably comprises an inner sleeve I3 adapted to be fixed to the arm 9 as by the set screw I4 illustrated. The sleeve 3 has at the mid-portion thereof a rack gear I5 which ex-. tends around the circumference of the sleeve except for places in which it is interrupted by longitudinal grooves in the sleeve. 1 have shown four such longitudinal grooves, designated I6, Fig. 3, which extend substantially the length of the inner sleeve I3 and are spaced 90 apart around the circumference of the sleeve. The sleeve I3 also contains a pair of annular grooves I1 and I8 which extendaround the'circumference of the sleeve, one such groove being situated at each side of the rack gear I5. At one end of the sleeve I3 is a bearing H? which preferably contains a felt grease wiper 20. The other end of the sleeve I3 preferably has screw threads 2! to which a bearing ring 22 may be threadedly engaged.

An outer sleeve 23 is fitted over the inner-sleeve I3 and is movable thereon... In assembling the device, the outer sleeve 23 is placed over the inner sleeve l3 and secured thereon by applying the bearing ring 22 to the threaded portionZI of the inner sleeve I3. 1

The outer sleeve 23 has a protruding boss 24 at one side thereof, preferably integral therewith. Mounted for rotation Within the boss 24 is a shaft 25 to which is secured a gear segment 26. The teeth of the gear segment 26 mesh with the teeth of the rack gear I5. Hence rotation of the gear segment 26 moves the outer-sleeve 23'longitudi nally on the inner sleeve I3. A handle member 21' is secured to the shaft 25 to facilitate rotation of the shaft and the gear segment 26.

A plurality of guide pins 28, Fig. 3, are secured to the outer sleeve 23 and protrude from the inner surface thereof. The guide pins 28 are positioned in such a manner that they may slide through either the longitudinal grooves H5 or the annular grooves I! and l8in the inner sleeve I3. Preferably four guide pins 28 are utilized in the device to cooperate with the four longitudinal grooves I6 in the inner sleeve I3. Two such guide pins 28 are positioned so that they may slide through the annular groove IT and are on diametrically opposite sides of the outer sleeve 23. Two other such guide pins 28 are positioned so that they mav slide through the annular groove I8 and are on diametricallyopposite sides of the outer sleeve 23, but 90. removed from the pins that slide through the groove I1. The guide pins 28 cooperating with the grooves I6, I! and I8 thus guide longitudinal and rotary movement of the outer sleeve 23 on the inner sleeve I 3.

' The distance through which the outer sleeve 23 may slide on the inner sleeve I3 is limited by engagement of the bearing ring 22 on the edge 29 of a counterbore in one end of the outer sleeve 23 and by engagement of the bearing IS on the edge 30 of a second counterbore in the opposite end of the outer sleeve 23. I t

To limit rotary movement of the outer sleeve 23 on the inner sleeve I 3 a pair of stops 3], Fig. 2, are fixed in the annular grooves I1 and ld re-- spectively adjacent certain of the intersections with the longitudinal grooves I 6 to cooperate with the pins 28. The other stop, not shown, is lo-' cated on the opposite side of the groovelil in position to cooperate with the pin 28 on that side.

The upper and lower walls of the outer sleeve 2,494,532 Y J I 1 ner sleeve I3.

g The templates I I and I2 have supporting shanks that are threaded in tapped openings in the bosses '32 and 33. The templates are adapted to be removed from the template holder and replaced with templates of different shapes and sizes as desired.- The templates may be either exterior templates as shown or interior templates. The apparatus is particularly useful with templates such as those illustrated which are stamped or cut from plate-like material so that'their contour may be roughly described as lying generall in a plane.

Operation When it is desired to employ'the machine for cutting shapes from material, the machine is placed over the material so that the cuttingelement is adjacent one edge of the material. The oxyacetylene cutting element, 5 is lighted and the flame properly adjusted through suitable mecha nism provided for that purpose. The motor 6 is started and the magnetic roller 8 is energized. The chosen size and shape of template is attached to one or both of the bosses 32 and 33. The outer sleeve 23 is moved longitudinally in either direction to the limit of its path of travel on the inner sleeve I 3. a

With the machine thus set up to start operation, the handle 21 is turned slowly to move the outer sleeve 23 along the inner sleeve I3 to the opposite end of its path of travel. The movement is effected by rotation of the gear segment 26, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth 'of the rack gear i5. The movement is constrained to a straight longitudinal movement by the en gagement of the pins 28 within the grooves !6.

As the'outer sleeve 23 travels longitudinally, it carries the templates II and "I2 alongwith it. The roller 8 is held tightly against the template by magnetic attraction and at the same time r0- tation of the roller 8 moves the roller along the bearing surface of the template. When the sleeve 23 reaches the limit of its travel, the roller 8 has reached the predetermined position from which, by continuing to follow the bearing surface of the template, it begins to guide the 'cut ting element to cut a shape identical with the shape of the template. The motion of the follower roller 8 from this predetermined position-is substantially confined to rotation about its own axis and rolling along the contour of the template without any additional translation, since the template has at this point ceased to translate. The movement of the template slowly into position'to start the out While the roller is acting on the tem plate results'in a spiral out being made from the edge of the material to the point at which the start of the cut of the shape of the template is reached. There is thus no abrupt change'of direction of cutting at this point and the "starting nick is eliminated. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the shape of cuts made in the material'at the approach to the shape being cut out.

Fig. 4 illustrates the configuration of cuts made when two circular shapes arec'ut from a plate of material. The portions 34 of thecuts' are the outlines of the desired shapes. 'The-portions 'lo' of the cuts are the approach cuts through the salvage material.

Fig. 5 shows another typical shape which may be cut by the use of the appropriate templates. The portions 36 of the cuts are the outlines of the shapes. The portions 31 are the approach cuts through the salvage material.

When it is desired to employ a template secured to the boss 32 on the upper side of the sleeve 23, the sleeve 23 is first moved to mid-position on the inner sleeve 13. At this position the pins 28 are aligned with the annular grooves I1 and I3. The outer sleeve 23 is then rotated 180 with respect to the inner sleeve l3. Engagement of one of the pins 28 with one of the stops 3] prevents rotation in excess of that amount. The teeth of the gear segment 26 follow the teeth of the rack gear [5 during such rotation, since the latter extend around the circumference of the inner sleeve 13.

Such rotation moves the template II secured to the boss 32 to a position to cooperate with the magnetic roller 8. The outer sleeve 23 may be moved longitudinally of the inner sleeve 13 as before to produce a spiral approach to the cut of the desired shape.

The use of the second template makes it possible to make two outs of many types of shapes without moving either the machine or the material between cuts. For example, two shapes of the type shown in Fig. 5 may be cut merely by rotating the outer sleeve 23 and otherwise operating the machine in the manner described. Cutting the shapes in the manner shown in Fig. 5, while it requires the use of a right hand template and a left hand template, otherwise of the same shape, eliminates considerable wastage of material, since heretofore the shapes could not be stacked as they are by use of my invention.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that the device is susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited by the disclosures set forth, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. A template holder comprising a hollow cylindrical inner sleeve adapted to be fixed to a cutting machine and having a rack gear, the teeth of which extend substantially around the circumference of the sleeve, said sleeve having longitudinal grooves extending substantially the length of the sleeve and annular grooves extending around the circumference of the sleeve, a hollow cylindrical outer sleeve mounted on said inner sleeve for longitudinal and rotary movement thereon and having a protruding boss at one side thereof, a gear segment pivoted in, said boss and engageable with said rack gear whereby rotation of the gear segment moves the outer sleeve longitudinally relative to the inner sleeve, means for rotating the gear segment, inwardly protruding pins secured in said outer sleeve and engageable with said longitudinal grooves to guide longitudinal movement of said outer sleeve and with said annular grooves to guide rotation of said outer sleeve, and a pair of bosses adapted to support templates on said outer sleeve on opposite sides thereof whereby rotation of said outer sleeve may place either of said last named bosses in operative position so that a template supported thereby may cooperate with a cutting machine.

2. A template holder comprising a hollow cylindrical inner sleeve adapted to be fixed to a cutting machine, a hollow cylindrical outer sleeve mounted on said inner sleeve for longitudinal and rotary movement thereon, cooperating means on said sleeves for moving said outer sleeve longitudinally of said inner sleeve, means on one of said sleeves cooperating with portions of the other sleeve to guide longitudinal and rotary movement of said outer sleeve on said inner sleeve, and a plurality of template supporting means on said outer sleeve selectively movable by rotation of the outer sleeve to positions to support a template in cooperative relation to a cutting machine.

3. The combination with a cutting machine of the type having a movable cutting element in which the path of movement of the cutting element is controlled by a roller acting on a template, of a template holder comprising an inner sleeve secured to the machine, an outer sleeve mounted on said inner sleeve for longitudinal and rotary movement thereon, cooperating means on said sleeves for moving said outer sleeve longitudinally of said inner sleeve, means on one of said sleeves cooperating with portions of the other sleeve to guide longitudinal and rotary movement of said outer sleeve, and a plurality of template supporting means on said outer sleeve selectively movable by rotation of the outer sleeve to positions to support a template in cooperative relation to the roller on the cutting machine.

4. The combination with a cutting machine of the type having a movable cutting element in which the path of movement of the cutting element is controlled by a roller acting on a template, of a template holder comprising an element fixed relative to the cutting machine, an element mounted on said fixed element and movable relative thereto, and a plurality of template supporting means on said movable element adapted selectively to support a template in position to cooperate with the roller on the cutting machine.

CLARENCE P. AGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,352,760 Plumley Sept. 14, 1920 1,423,289 Worner July 18, 1922 1,553,467 Otto et a1. Sept. 15, 1925 1,582,033 Godfrey Apr. 27, 1926 1,658,927 Krebs Feb. 14, 1928 1,759,857 Krebs May 27, 1930 1,777,497 Krebs Oct. 7, 1930 1,807,989 Krebs June 2, 1931 1,956,505 Horner Apr. 24, 1934 2,025,082 Anderson et a1. Dec. 24, 1935 2,048,935 Klages July 28, 1936 2,178,938 Ohmstede Nov. 7, 1939 2,190,360 Howard Feb. 13, 1940 2,202,133 Young May 28, 1940 2,401,803 Turchan et al. June 11, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 438,940 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1935 

